


The Love of Bathing a Lover

by SoManyFandoms



Series: tumblr Books [4]
Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Erik bathing Charles and washing his hair, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 21:16:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17271269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoManyFandoms/pseuds/SoManyFandoms
Summary: They never wash together when Charles feels like a bath. (Written for pearlo, and the second of 4 Tumblr prompt fics started and finished 9th March, 2013.)





	The Love of Bathing a Lover

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pearlo (tumblr)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=pearlo+%28tumblr%29).



> Poor pearlo (tumblr) was having a really stressful day at work in 2013 and posted about complaining to her friend fourteenacross (tumblr) 'about how there’s never enough Charles in Erik’s head while he has sex with ladies, or enough fuck-or-die or sex pollen stories, or stories where Erik kneels by the tub and washes Charles’s hair while he bathes. I HAVE LAYERS, SHUT UP.'
> 
> A plotbunny jumped out from where it had been hiding under Charles' fluffy bath towels and bit me, and two days later I posted this fic on my tumblr. I was on a roll with short fics that day.

The students think it more common then it is, but they don’t often wash together. Sometimes if time calls for them to be quick, they will shower together. If they have all the time in the world, they may end up in the shower together, hugging and kissing and enjoying the water.

In winter, they never shower together. The shower head is not big enough, and so they stopped after the fourth time of one of them getting goosebumps while the other rinsed their hair.

They never wash together when Charles feels like a bath, feels like immersing himself in water laced with peppermint oil and soaking until the water starts to cool. Those nights he will tell the children he is not to be disturbed after dinner. Generally they know not to disturb him from nine o’clock onwards, for this is his time with Erik, time for a chess game or two and discussions about whatever comes to mind.

Those nights he rinses his plate, stacks it on the draining board, and heads upstairs, alone, to his room. He’ll strip, put the clothes in the hamper, and walk bare into the bathroom. The bath mat will be laid on the tiles as the bath is filling, peppermint oil tipped under the spray until the air carries the scent, and then the water turned off before he steps in and lowers himself into the water.

He’ll soak for a while, enjoying the quiet, the peace, as his mind drifts, as his subconscious registers a door opening, closing, but doesn’t alert his conscious. A hand tips his head backwards, another lets water dribble over his hair. A cap will then click and those hands will be back, his head being massaged as the shampoo is worked through by those strong, gentle fingers. A rinse, the hands this time extra careful, to stop the suds from running into his closed eyes. Another click, conditioner this time, another rinse, and then his head carefully left to rest against the bath.

The feel of the sponge is heaven against his arms, his chest, the suds leaving his skin slick before being washed off by those hands. He will be carefully lifted into a seating position for the sponge to clean his back, to dig in and conjure a soft sigh out of him, then water runs from those hands and the suds slide down his back to meet the water below.

His legs will be washed next, attention paid carefully to each foot, each toe, slightly ticklish as a smile escapes and his foot is set free, just for a moment. Once the washing is done and the sponge rinsed a kiss will be pressed to his forehead, and the door will click.

Charles will get out of the bath on his own and put on his robe before sitting on the couch. Once the clock strikes nine he will put down the book and dress before going to meet Erik for their chess game.

**Author's Note:**

> (I was a bit afraid this wasn’t going to end up as long as the other one I have just written. I think it’s ended up longer. Also I like peppermint. I don’t like lavender.)


End file.
